I know both my parents worked extremely hard while my siblings and I were growing up (they still do!) and oftentimes making a sandwich for my sister and I was the best they could do in the little time they had the mornings. I applaud them for working so hard and giving us food to eat, though! We were always taken care of.

Buuuuuuuuut, I hated eating PB&J sandwiches day after day.

Now that I’m a mother, I’m seeing the same eye roll that my mother must have seen me do off to the side, and my 9-year-old will let out a disappointed sigh.

“Aw man…” is something I hear anytime I bring out a sandwich or spaghetti. The kid hates spaghetti ;).

I mean, I get it, I do. But when you’re a busy mom, it does get hard to come up with something that tastes good and is actually good for your children’s growing minds and bodies day after day.

These last few years, I decided to change things up in his lunch box. Personally, I let my oldest son eat lunch at school 2-3 days out of the week, and then I will make his lunch for him for the other days. This system works really well for both of us, and luckily his school district offers free lunches so that saves us a ton of money over the years. I didn’t actually find this out until well into our second year at the school, which could’ve saved me even more money – be sure to check out your child’s school lunch program and see if they offer free lunches for their students!

In my quest to provide healthy lunches for my boys that are as easy and they are nutritious and delicious, I’ve learned that, especially when it comes to picky eaters (which applies to both of my children), it’s best to use a lot of variety and change things up as often as you can!

I’ve also picked up some bento boxes for the boys – they love that the different foods don’t touch the other foods, and I feel that I am more conscious of the food groups when there are different compartments to look at and pack lunch into.

In this post, I’ve gathered up some of my favorite lunch ideas for kids that are easy, nutritious, and delicious! These ideas are sure to fill you with inspiration and get you two thumbs up from your kids. Whether you love your bento boxes like we do, or you’re into easy-to-make foods you can prepare and pack ahead of time, this post is for you!

Here are some kid-friendly lunch ideas for school that are easy to make and pack in your child’s lunchbox…

*This post contains affiliate links to help support my blog at no extra cost to my readers. All opinions are my own, as always.

Mix up your own yogurt (or enlist help from your child) so you can pack these yummy cinnamon yogurt dippers in your child’s lunchbox! This recipe is super easy to make and can be served with fresh cut fruit or pretzels.

Shredded Zucchini Tots

These yummy pizza dippers would be fun to make with your child before they leave to get on the bus! Hand them a kabob, and enlist their help!

Try these homemade pizza pockets for your child’s lunchbox – they’re super easy to make, and even taste great served cold!

Rainbow fruit skewers are a great (and colorful) way to incorporate some fresh fruits into your child’s lunch! Have your child help you arrange them in order of color to create a gorgeous rainbow effect!

PB & J Monster Sandwich

Spinach & Cheese Quinoa Cups

Quinoa contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids (which play a big role in brain function and development), and all 9 essential amino acids (source), so these spinach and cheese quinoa cups are the perfect brain food for your child’s lunchbox!

Can you tell we’re big fans of quinoa yet? Try these yummy cheesy bacon quinoa bites to pack in your child’s lunchbox to give them energy all day and help them focus in class!

These yummy ham, carrot, and cheese muffins can help your child feel full with fewer bites (great for kids that are picky or don’t eat as well at school). Plus, they contain carrots, so you can sneak some veggies in where you can.

Make Your Own Bagel Bites

If your child loves to help out in the kitchen with cooking or preparing food, this deconstructed bagel bites idea is perfect for them during lunch! They can get the joy out of creating their own bagel bites while they are at school.

Mexican Buddha Bowl With Cilantro Lime Sauce

Packed with flavor, this Mexican buddha bowl is both colorful and delicious. You can either prepare it as shown or spread the ingredients out into a bento box and have your child construct it themselves during lunch.

Mmm, this colorful roasted beetroot hummus with pita chips is a great way to add in some veggies to your child’s lunch! Beets are a great food to sneak into your child’s lunch because they are packed with fiber, folate, and vitamin C.

Cauliflower Cheese Chicken Fritters

Cauliflower is another brain food that gets overlooked. Packed with choline (which is essential for learning and memory), B-vitamins, and fiber, cauliflower is a great addition to your child’s lunchbox. Make these easy cauliflower cheese chicken fritters to pack in your child’s lunchbox and help them learn throughout the day!

Avocado Quesadillas

I bet you haven’t seen these before – these avocado quesadillas are so fun! Avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals that growing kids need (like folate, lutein, and B-vitamins) (source), and are a great choice for your child’s lunchbox.

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Comments

I was going through these with one of my kids and there are a lot here that she wants to try this year! I have one who packs lunch and one who would rather the school lunch. But in high school it is a bit different and she has a lot of choices there – and not a lot of time to go to her locker to get her lunch either.

I love all of your ideas for lunches. After years of packing lunches, I started running out of ideas 🙂

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